kShehzad
Rookie
The historical Durand line continues to be a thorn on the side as both Pakistan and Afghanistan are unable to come to a mutually beneficial conclusion.
The bilateral relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan has always been under duress. A major point of contention between the two neighbours is the status of a colonial legacy—the Durand line, cutting through the Pashtun-dominated tribal areas. In an already precarious environment, with the ascendancy of the Taliban, the tempo of tensions flared up in the last few weeks of 2021. According to reports, the Pakistani forces encroached 15 kilometres inside Afghani territory in the Chahar Burjak district to erect fences, a second such attempt after their efforts to do the same near the Nangahar province were thwarted by the Taliban.
To put into perspective the dispute over the boundary, it is imperative to understand the circumstances which led to the signing of the Durand agreement and paved the way for the promulgation of the Durand Line. In Afghanistan, irrespective of the people in power, the Line is considered a ‘historic mistake’, a vestige of British colonialism that the Afghanis don’t accept. After usurping the US-sponsored government in August 2021, the Taliban reiterated their position, asserting that the fencing has separated families, with the Commander of the group, Mawllawi Sanaullah Sangin restating that they won’t accept any fresh attempts to fence the ‘alleged’ border. Pakistan, on the other hand, considers it the legally binding international border and regards the fencing as a fait accompli as 90 percent of it is completed, with no option left for Afghanistan but to accept its reality.
Genesis of the dispute
After the fall of the Durrani dynasty in the 18th century, the Pashtun empire disintegrated and the British eventually extended their control to the region. But the hinterlands were always a tough area to govern. When the two Anglo-Afghan wars (1838-42 and 1878-80) failed to expand British influence and tame the belligerent tribal groups, a policy reassessment was undertaken. Fearing Russian advancement towards Central Asia, and a possible attack from the Pashtun tribes on their settled populations, a multi-layered defence mechanism—a tripartite frontier—was postulated with three concentric frontiers: The first at the foothills of the Sulaiman hills, till where the British had formal control; the second where the vassal states under the ‘influence’ of British were located; and the final buffer which was Afghanistan itself.The Foreign Secretary, Sir Mortimer Durand was despatched to sign an agreement with the Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman. Inked on 12 November 1893, the Durand line demarcated the Pashtun-inhabited region, creating a cleavage amongst the people who shared the same culture and ethnicity and didn’t identify with either of the two parties. The agreement, apart from ensuring protection in case of a Russian assault, gave Britain access to major trade and access routes and complemented its strategy of divide and rule to curb the burgeoning Pashtun nationalism.
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